[Maltipoo puppy mom]

Hello all,

exactly a week ago we got our maltipoo puppy.He ate first 2 meals happily after arriving, gerber baby food chicken with Karo syrup. He arrived on Wednesday late night and from Thursday afternoon he stopped eating on his own. Since then I amfeeding himgerber food with syringe every 3 hours. I tried royal nibbles, Cesar food, boiled eggs, 2 different types of treats but he is not interested in eating anything on his own. He had his 5 days preventative care medicines ... so having tummy bug or other digestion issues have very slim possibility. Family loves him a lot and spendsgood time with him when he is awake. Not sure every after a week new family anxiety is affecting his desire to eat. Any ideas/suggestions are greatly appreciated. I am a mom of 2, work full time and feeding puppy every 3 hours is extremely exhausting.

 

[LeoRose]

Has he been to the vet? If not, you need to take him in. Puppies, especially toy breed puppies, can get hypoglycemic and/or dehydrated in a hurry.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "five days preventive care medicine". Do you mean a dewormer like Panacur? Or something else?

Human baby food and corn syrup is not a balanced diet, and in fact can lead to some serious malnutrition issues. A good quality, age appropriate dog food, either kibble of wet, is a much better option. Kibble can be soaked in warm water to soften it if he has trouble crunching it.

While it's usually a good idea to keep a puppy on whatever the breeder was feeding, if they were only feeding human baby food and corn syrup, I would seriously question their knowneldge of puppy raising.

 

[DaySleepers]

I agree, a puppy - especially a small breed puppy! - not eating is an emergency, and if he hasn't seen a vet he needs to go ASAP. Just like human infants, baby puppies can get dehydrated super fast if they're not drinking enough, or have a stomach issue that causes loose stool. Additionally toy breed puppies can become hypoglycemic very quickly - which again, dangerous and makes them feel very ill - if they aren't eating. I've heard of a sugar syrup being used during one of these episodes, but never as part of their daily diet. That much sugar can't be good for a puppy.

Do you know what the breeder was feeding him, or can you find out? If the breeder was the one who suggested baby food and Karo syrup then switch to a quality puppy food (wet or kibble soaked in warm water) and stick with just that. Offering a bunch of different food and treats right now will probably only upset his system (and his tummy) more. But vet first. You need to know if he's dehydrated or otherwise ill with this behavior.

 

[Maltipoo puppy mom]

Has he been to the vet? If not, you need to take him in. Puppies, especially toy breed puppies, can get hypoglycemic and/or dehydrated in a hurry.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "five days preventive care medicine". Do you mean a dewormer like Panacur? Or something else?

Human baby food and corn syrup is not a balanced diet, and in fact can lead to some serious malnutrition issues. A good quality, age appropriate dog food, either kibble of wet, is a much better option. Kibble can be soaked in warm water to soften it if he has trouble crunching it.

While it's usually a good idea to keep a puppy on whatever the breeder was feeding, if they were only feeding human baby food and corn syrup, I would seriously question their knowneldge of puppy raising.

Yes, he is on 5 days preventative dewormer med- metronidazole and panacur- today is the 5th day. Breeder we’re giving him royal nibbles, but with transition he stopped eating and he refuses any food. So baby food with karo syrup is easy to feed through syringe. I have his vet appointment scheduled for Friday. Hope my baby is doing okay.

 

[Maltipoo puppy mom]

He weighs 3 lbs, he eats 6 oz (3 jars) of gerber baby chicken gravy food with karo syrup throughout the day. And he eats royal nibbles here in there few pieces ... total around 1-2 table spoon a day.

 

[DaySleepers]

Okay, that's a less serious emergency than him not eating at all, but I'd still call the vet and explain what you've written here. Phone calls are free, and they'll be able to tell you whether he needs to come in sooner or can wait until Friday safely.

 

[Shell]

First, I agree on a vet check.

I'm confused on the timeline of food changes. You said he ate his first two meals with you of baby food OK but then you say with the transition he refused food so that is why you fed baby food?

When he got to your house, what food did you offer him?

How long did he refuse food? (hours?)

While the chicken baby food has no dangerous ingredients, it is not balanced either and the amount of Karo syrup could be dangerous if its swinging blood sugar levals wildly high.

Get a good quality canned dog food, a nice mushy soupy kind, and feed that while you're getting the dog into a vet visit.

If the dog refuses all food, tell the vet and hopefully they can rush your appt to sooner

 

[Maltipoo puppy mom]

My puppy reached to us around midnight last Wednesday. Breeder said he was on nibbles at their place but long journey (Ohio to San Francisco) May stress him so give him baby food with karo, every 3 hours and then slowly get him back on nibbles. So after arrival first 2-3 feeding of baby food he ate happily on his own but after that he started refusing everything and since last Thursday evening every 3 hours I am force feeding baby food with few nibbles here n there.

 

[Shell]

Ok, so I am NOT a vet so still get vet check!! (for any new puppy this is important but when there is a health concern it is more important)

that said, it sounds like you may have accidentally created the problem. baby food and sugar is junk food but its tasty junk food so he ate it happily to start with just like a kid given candies and chips. Its also probably sending his blood sugar through the roof which can mess with appetite and digestion.

A good canned food or a soupy mix of a dehydrated food like The Honest Kitchen or Grandma Lucys brands could be fed like the baby food and would ease him back into a balanced diet (balanced in term of protein, fat and carbs and also balanced in terms of micronutrients like calcium and phosphorus)

 

[LeoRose]

Okay, Panacur is a routine dewormer, but metronidazole is a prescription antibiotic, usually only given if the pup has loose stools caused by giardia or inflammation/irritation of the intestinal tract.

Do you mean Royal Canin puppy food? It's a perfectly adequate food, although I personally prefer Purina Pro Plan.

I still strongly recommend a vet visit ASAP.